Air Fryer Beef Kofta

• 1 1/2 lbground beef — 80/20 — leaner grinds cook up dry
• 1yellow onion — grated and squeezed very dry
• 1 cupflat-leaf parsley — finely minced, plus more to serve
• 3 clovesgarlic — grated
• 2 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground coriander
• 1/2 tspground allspice
• 1/2 tspAleppo pepper — or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/4 tspfine sea salt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 1lemon — cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1. 01

   Grate the onion, then wring it out in a clean towel until it's nearly dry. This is the make-or-break step — onion water is why homemade kofta fall apart and steam instead of crust.

2. 02

   Knead the beef with the onion, parsley, garlic, and all the spices for a solid minute, until the mixture turns tacky and holds together. That worked texture is the traditional binder; kofta needs no egg and no breadcrumbs.

3. 03

   With damp hands, shape into 8 stubby logs about 4 inches long, slightly flattened so they sit stable. Chill 15 minutes if you have the patience — they hold their shape better.

4. 04

   Air fry at 380°F in a single layer, 10–11 minutes, turning once, until deeply browned outside and 160°F at the center (the ground-meat safe mark).

5. 05

   Rest 3 minutes and serve with lemon wedges, more parsley, and whatever your table allows — rice, salad, grilled tomatoes, or flatbread and yogurt sauce for those who can.